Pakistan pressured Sri Lanka to revoke entry on arrival to stop Christian asylum seekers

Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC has condemned Nawaz government on pressing upon Sri Lanka to revoke “Entry on Arrival for Pakistani Citizen” to stop persecuted and oppressed communities to flee from injustices of Pakistan and to take refuge in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka government announced that Pakistani citizen will have to get visa to enter in Sri Lanka instead of previously privilege of ‘Entry on Arrival” as SAARC country.

According to The Nation Lahore Newspaper “Sri Lanka has always been a close friend of Pakistan and both the countries had enjoyed close bilateral cooperation in defence and trade and Pakistan had also helped Sri Lanka in eliminating LTTE (separatist group in Sri Lanka) which resulted in peace in the country”

As per UNHCR statistical data, weather “Sri Lanka is not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, but offer asylum to a considerable number of refugees. There are 145 Refugees, 1607 asylum seekers, 920 are returned refugees, 42,191 IDPS, 40, 691 are returned IDPS and total 85,554 people of concern”

According to Daily Ceylon of Sri Lanka, 15, 00 Pakistani asylum seekers were arrested in second week of June 2014, while 140 were ready to be deported, whom Pakistan government denied to accept.

Nazir Bhatti said “When Pakistani Christians started fleeing from Pakistan from Punjab province of Pakistan after rising violence and threats to their lives and properties against them from extremist Muslim groups whom government of PML (N) was protecting then Sri Lanka was only place for them of refugee where they might reach without seeking visa with cheap airfare”

“Sri Lanka arrests of Christian asylum seekers and refugees is against Reservations and declarations to the 1951 Refugee Convention of United Nation and it responsibility of UNHCR to negotiate with Sri Lanka government for release for all asylum seekers who have been detained and particularly 140 asylum seekers who Sri Lanka wants to hand over to Pakistan on its demand’ said PCC Chief

According to Pakistan Christian Post, Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan IB which is headed by Prime Minister of Pakistan, engaged some Pakistani Christians whom ruling Pakistan Muslim League PML (N) have selected in Senate of Pakistan, National Assembly of Pakistan and Punjab provincial assembly to send different delegation on government funds to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia to collect data of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers.

Some members of Christian clergy, non-governmental organizations and Christian selected members in parliament by PML (N) were funded by Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan IB to meet Christian asylum seekers in South Asian and South East Asian countries and to send few Christian families from Pakistan on government expenditures where Pakistani Christian asylum seekers are waiting for their interviews to provide information of cases to Pakistani Missions in Colombo, Bangkok and Kaul Lumpur.

Dr. Nazir Bhatti said “It was surprising for me to note when spokesperson of Pakistan Foreign office admitted on June 26, 2014, press briefing in Islamabad that government of Pakistan was in contact with Sri Lankan government on Pakistani asylum seekers issue from long time and she admitted more over that some asylum seekers were in contact with Pakistani Missions which reflects a joint conspiracy of Pakistan-Sri Lankan governments”

Here are contents of one answer to media person question during briefing by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson on June 26, 2014, “Normally, when they seek asylum they would be in contact with the host government and UNHCR. As I said UNHCR and the host government would not provide any information because UNHCR has confidentiality clause. I may share with you that most of these asylum seekers privately come to the Embassies and they are given whatever assistance is possible”

According to data collected by Pakistan Christian Post, there are more than 12,000 Pakistani asylum seekers in South Asia and South East Asia. Most of these Pakistani Christian asylum seekers faced victimization in Pakistan and fled from Pakistan after selling their properties for safety of their lives only and approached UNHCR.

World Vision in Progress WVIP led by Mr. Farrukh Saif was only Civil Society organization in Pakistan which provided legal assistance to Christian victims of blasphemy, enforced conversion and rape, free of cost and then relocated them in South Asia and South East Asian countries with its funds unless all Christian NGO,s which are collecting funds from EU and NA in mane of blasphemy laws never rescued a single victim.

Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC invited immediate attention of Commissioner of UNHCR on deportation of 140 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka to Pakistan because it will endanger their lives in Pakistan and they will face torture and death in hands of Pakistani government agencies.

Nazir Bhatti also appealed to Sri Lankan government to not deport 140 detained Pakistani Christian asylum seekers to Pakistan because it might be threat to their lives.

Pakistan Christian Congress PCC filed a Petition with UN to award Refugee Status to Pakistani Christians in 2009, in New York, which was widely opposed by Catholic Church of Pakistan on intimation of Establishment of Pakistan and their other Christian tools.

Nazir Bhatti said “Pakistani Christians refugees in South and South East Asia are not economic asylum seekers but they are persecuted and their lives are not safe in Pakistan”

Nazir Bhatti also appealed to US administration, EU, Amnesty International and UNHRC to take note of Sri Lanka government to deport 140 Christian asylum seekers to Pakistan and to immediately stop such deportations which deny UNHCR norms.